Apparatus for forming a pleatable head on a drapery

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for forming a pleatable head on an end of a drapery, while the latter is in flat, unfolded condition, by an operator positioned at the front or head end of the apparatus, the apparatus comprising a flat rectangular support, a carriage spanning across said support and movable longitudinally along the support in both directions, clamping means on the carriage for clamping one end of the drapery and means to move the carriage rearwardly to draw the drapery onto the support, pre-settable means to limit the movement of the carriage, and means at the front end of the support to guide the folding of the other end of the drapery around an adhesive-provided tape while the drapery remains in the mentioned flat condition.

[11; 3,802,609 1 Apr. 9, 1 974 United States Patent [191 Benedetto [54] APPARATUS FOR FORMING A PLEATABLE HEAD ON A DRAPERY John Benedetto, 1664 lnez Way,

Anaheim, Calif. 92802 July 26, 1973 Appl. No.: 382,907

Primary Examiner-Geo. V. Larkin [76] Inventor:

[57] ABSTRACT An apparatus for forming a pleatable head on an end [22] Filed:

, unfolded condition, by an operator positioned at the front or head end of the apparatus, the apparatus comprisin of a drapery, while the latter is in flat g a fiat rectangular support, a carriage spanning across said 4 1n 4/0 /3 an 8 6 lm mw MM 3 u 3 2 U; -5 "32 m NW H We um mWnZH n 92 11 um NW7; .n m mu m e .H S8 3122 l. 0/ 1 C 300 20 S w UIF F ned 555 [[1 support and movable longitudinally along the support in bothdirections, clamping means onthe carriage for move clamping one end of the drapery and means to the carriage rearwardly to draw the drapery onto the support, pre-settable means to limit the movement of [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS the carriage, and means at the front end of the support to guide the folding of the other end of the dr apery W e w r d e h t e s l t e hm 6 m .w ed F pm g m c .m w m a d W w mn 6 mm m 6 mm G d 5 m an .1 dm n m u mm a?! XR 1800B WQHZ 333 23 Tuskos Kruglick "w mh a U3 TD 9936 6675 0 999 .1111 4264 .1 00274 3900 4 2 O 2 9 82 30034 3332 APPARATUS FOR FORMING A PLEATABLE HEAD ON A DRAPERY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the invention Preparing draperies and curtains so they may be measured and marked for the pleats formed in the head or hanger end of the same.

2. Description of the prior art Draperies and curtains vary greatly in width from but a few feet to 10, or more feet, and, in the greater overall widths, are made up of several widths of drapery or curtain fabric. The preparation of the head ends of such items is usually the chore ,of female operators who could not possibly handle the greater widths without having to move from one side to the other of a table upon which these items are prepared. Such tables are conventionally designed to be narrow to minimize the footwork of the operators who must move from side to side of the table so as to be in position to handle and press the head ends of the draperies or curtains. Moreover, the measuring and marking for the head pleats cannot be carried out on the narrow table commonly .used, entailing the need for wider tables for this purpose.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A table having length and width dimensions to flatly receive draperies and curtains of maximum size for home, apartment and office use; carriage means movable longitudinally of said table and provided with means for clamping the bottomends of such hanging item so when said means is moved toward the rear end of the table, the drapery or curtain is drawn over the table top, the movement of the carriage being limited by adjustable means, provided for that purpose. While the hanging item is so positioned, the operator, guided by means at the front end of the table, forms the head by folding the material around a buckram tape and applies ironing pressure on said folded head to cause the fabric to adhere of the buckrarn.

It is a characteristic of this apparatus that it is devised and arranged so that the operator, at all times, may retain a position to control the apparatus from the front thereof and is not subjected to awkward bending and stretching when carrying out the operation of the apparatus, and, further, can, from the same position and while the drapery or curtain remains in its initial flat condition, measure and mark the pleats, folds or gathers that transform the headed fabric into a drapery or curtain ready for hanging upon being provided with drapery hooks.

An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus of the character above briefly described.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a novel apparatus that enables carrying out an economical timeand space-saving method as above outlined, as well as promoting the welfare and comfort of the operator, and to provide apparatus that is positive in operation and convenient in use.

The invention also contemplates novel combinations of method steps as well as novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will appear more fully in the course of the following description that has basis on the accompanying drawings that are given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawings, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fore-shortened top plan view of apparatus for sizing draperies according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view in partial section.

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 are enlarged fragmentary detail sectional views as taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2 and showing progressive steps of the method.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged end view of the head as formed in FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION or THE INVENTION The apparatus of the present invention comprises, generally, a rectangular table 10 shown assupported on legs 11, means 12 extending across the front or head end of the table for guiding the operator in forming a head 13 across the width of a drapery 14 that is disposed upon the table, a carriage 15 spanning across the table 10 and guided for movement to and from the front and rearends of the table, means 16 mounted on said carriage for releasably clamping the hem end 17 of the drapery 14 to the carriage 15 which, when driven by means 18, draws the drapery ll4 onto the table 10 so the latter is retained in a flat condition, and longitudinally adjustable stop means carried by the table, for limiting the movement of the carriage 15 toward the rear so the trailing head end of the drapery will be located in desired operative relationship to the means 12.

cries of the maximum length desired and the width thereof to support draperies of the maximum width desired. The latter size may be as great or greater than 20 feet. 7

The means 12 is shown as three panels 21 22 and 23 extending transversely of the table top 20. Between the adjacent edgesof said panels are provided spacer strips 24 which are upwardly biased by spring means 25, their upper edges normally extending above the upper faces of said panels. When normally projected, said strips 24 define guides for locating a buckram tape B upon the panel 21 and for locating folds formed in the head end of the drapery during the formation of the drapery head end 13. The spring means 25 enables the strips 24 to depress to the level of the panels 21, 22 and23 when ironing pressure is applied to the head end of the drape as the same is being formed.

The carriage 15 may be guided by the side edges of the table 10 and is provided with a transverse support wall 26, part of which comprises a flat transverse cushion 27.

The, means 16 is shown as comprising a clamp member 28 generally coextensive with the cushion 27 or, if desired, by several shorter aligned clamp members, for the purpose of clamping the hem end 17 of the drapery to the cushion 27 Means 29 for moving the member 28 to and from clamping position may comprise a solenoid or other electrical devices that may be controlled by the operator from a position at the front end of the table 10, or by air operated devices, as desired.

The drive means 18 is here shown as a motor 30 that is connected by a chain 31 to drive one of a pair of v shafts 32 at the opposite ends of the table 10 and which, by means of sprocket wheels or pulleys, drive chains 33. The latter have connection, as at 34, with the carriage 15. Any suitable control means at the front end of the table and convenient to the operator while there positioned, may be used for energizing the motor 30 to cause the carriage to move toward the rear of the table or back toward the front of the table, as desired. The controller 35 represents such control means which may also include the control for the clamp-operated solenoid 29 or air-operated device.

The means 19 for stopping the rearward movement of the carriage 15 may comprise a limit switch 36 mounted on an adjustable bracket 37 that is slidingly engaged with an edge of the table 10.

It will be clear from the following that the operation may be carried out in a facile, time-saving manner by an operator stationed at the front end of the table 10. With the carriage 15 at the front end of the table and the clamp 28 raised, the operator places a loosely folded drapery upon a shelf or ledge 38, then spreads the hem end thereof and clamp the same upon the cushion 27 of the carriage 15 and presses the controller button that will cause the calmp 28 to close over and grip the hem of the drapery. The buckram tape B coated with a dry adhesive, and, of a length approximating the width of the curtain is then placed upon the panel 21.

The limit switch 36, aving been adjusted toward the rear of the table according to the finished length desired for the drapery, the controller 35 is actuated to set the means 18 into operation to cause the carriage to move rearwardly, thereby drawing the drapery onto and over the panels 21, 22 and 23 and over the table top 20. When the head end of the drapery reaches the front edge of the table, the carriage 15 will actuate the limit switch 36 to open the operating circuit to the motor 30, causing the carriage to stop its rearward movement. In this position of the drapery with its trailing edge substantially coincidental with the edge of the tape that is remote from the hem of the drapery, the endmost portion 39 of the head end of the drapery will be superimposed on and overlying the tape B, as in FIG. 3. Now, the operator applies a pressing iron or other heating means to said drapery portion 39, causing the adhesive in the tape to fuse or melt, and, thereby adhere the tape to said drapery portion 39. The spacer strips 24, being upwardly biased by the spring means 25, are depressed by the pressure applied by the pressing means thereby allowing flat pressing of the tapeprovided portion of the drapery head.

Now the operator folds said drapery end together with the tape folded therein under the adjacent portion 40 of the drapery, as shown in FIG. 4. Again, pressing heat is applied, as before, to cause adherence of the buckram tape B to the drapery portion 40.

Again, the operator folds the double-folded drapery end under the next adjacent portion '41 of the drapery as in FIG. 5, and, again applies pressure and heat. Since the drapery fabric are quite porous, the adhesive contained in tape B will penetrate to the drapery portion 41 effecting complete enclosure of the tape B within the three folds of the drapery, as above described.

While the drapery remains in the above headed and flat condition on the table, the head end may be measured and marked for pleating. Portable instruments are available for being placed adjacent to the abovedescribed folded head of the drapery and the latter measured and marked to guide the formation and stitching of the head pleats. Thereafter, the drapery may be removed from the table and the above production of a drapery repeated with another width of drap- 5 ery.

It will be understood that the term drapery, when used alone in this specification and the following claims, is intended to include curtains or similar textile items. 7

While the foregoing illustrates and describes what is now contemplated to be the best mode of carrying out the invention, the same is, of course, subject to modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for forming a pleatable head on an end of a drapery formed of porous fabric, said apparatus comprising:

a. a fiat rectangular support,

b. a carriage spanning across said support and mounted to move between the front and rear ends of the support,

c. means on the carriage to clamp one end of a drapery with the drapery extending in flat condition forwardly and hanging from the front end of the support,

d. means to move the carriage rearwardly to draw the drapery onto the support,

e. adjustable means to limit the movement of the carriage to bring the other end of the drapery to a position substantially coincidental with the front end of said support, and

. means provided on the front end of the support to guide the folding of said other end of the drapery around an adhesive-provided tape while the same remains in the mentioned flat condition, said guide means constituting a support for the folded end of the drapery while pressure and heat is applied thereto to cause the adhesive in the tape to fuse and the folds of drapery to adhere to the tape, thereby forming a drapery head.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the means to clamp the drapery comprises a flat cushion provided on the carriage, and a member movable to clamp the rear drapery end in a flat transverse position to said cushion.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the foldguiding means comprises:

a. three transverse panels of substantially the same width, the same comprising a first panel nearest the front end of the drapery support, a second panel spaced rearwardly rom the first panel, and a third panel spaced rearwardly from the second panel.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 in which the foldguiding means includes:

a. two resiliently-mounted strips, one between the first and second panels, and the other between the second and third panels,

1. the upper edges of said strips normally extending above the top surfaces of the panels and constituting members to locate the tape and the folds of the drapery, thereby guiding the formation of a head on said drapery, 2. said strips being depressible during application of pressing heat to the folds of the drapery.

plication of such pressure and heat to the mentioned folded portions of the drapery, as the same are folded progressively from the head end of the drapery rearwardly. 

1. Apparatus for forming a pleatable head on an end of a drapery formed of porous fabric, said apparatus comprising: a. a flat rectangular support, b. a carriage spanning across said support and mounted to move between the front and rear ends of the support, c. means on the carriage to clamp one end of a drapery with the drapery extending in flat condition forwardly and hanging from the front end of the support, d. means to move the carriage rearwardly to draw the drapery onto the support, e. adjustable means to limit the movement of the carriage to bring the other end of the drapery to a position substantially coincidental with the front end of said support, and f. means provided on the front end of the support to guide the folding of said other end of the drapery around an adhesiveprovided tape while the same remains in the mentioned flat condition, said guide means constituting a support for the folded end of the drapery while pressure and heat is applied thereto to cause the adhesive in the tape to fuse and the folds of drapery to adhere to the tape, thereby forming a drapery head.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the means to clamp the drapery comprises a flat cushion provided on the carriage, and a member movable to clamp the rear drapery end in a flat transverse position to said cushion.
 2. said strips being depressible during application of pressing heat to the folds of the drapery.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the fold-guiding means comprises: a. three transverse panels of substantially the same width, the same comprising a first panel nearest the front end of the drapery support, a second panel spaced rearwardly from the first panel, and a third panel spaced rearwardly from the second panel.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 3 in which the fold-guiding means includes: a. two resiliently-mounted strips, one between the first and second panels, and the other between the second and third panels,
 5. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the means to guide the folding of said other end of the drapery comprises three parallel panels separated by upwardly biased strips, the latter being depressible during application of pressure and heat to allow a flat application of such pressure and heat to the mentioned folded portions of the drapery, as the same are folded progressively from the head end of the drapery rearwardly. 